Star vs Cardiff City would surely get a new West Brom contract under other circumstances: View

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·30 November 2023

Star vs Cardiff City would surely get a new West Brom contract under other circumstances: View

Highlights

Cédric Kipré has had an impressive turnaround in his West Brom career, playing in 17 Championship appearances and proving to be a key defender for the team.
West Brom's financial issues may be the reason why Kipré has not been offered a new deal yet, as the club had to secure an additional loan and reduce their wage bill.
Despite the uncertainty of a new contract, Kipré's performance this season has likely attracted interest from other clubs.

West Brom centre-back Cédric Kipré was in fine form on Tuesday night as the Baggies came away with a 1-0 win at Cardiff City.

The win against the Bluebirds, whom Kipré spent last season on loan with, was his 17th start of the season for the Baggies, playing in all but one league fixture this season. This marks an incredible turn around from last season where he was deemed surplus to requirements at the Hawthorns and loaned to the side from the Welsh capital under Steve Bruce.

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Kipré made a big impact at the Cardiff City Stadium, playing 42 league games and steering the Bluebirds away from relegation in what was a difficult campaign for the side. Despite a disappointing campaign for the Bluebirds, the Ivorian defender proved a popular figure at Cardiff and many were sad to see him depart.

However, since returning to the Hawthorns under Baggies boss Carlos Coberán, Kipré has seen his West Brom career rejuvenated. He's out of contract at the end of the season and there's no sign of a new deal yet which means Kipré faces an anxious wait to see whether he'll remain a Baggie for the 2024/25 campaign.

How has Cédric Kipré performed for West Brom?

Kipre joined West Brom from Wigan on a four-year deal in 2020 after the Baggies' promotion to the Premier League.

However, he failed to make an impact and saw game time limited to League Cup and the FA Cup before being loaned to RSC Charleroi in Belgium for the second-half of the season.

The 2021/22 season saw the Baggies return to the Championship and led to Kipré coming back into the fold, making 14 Championship appearances. However, he failed to make an appearance after the 29th January and was subsequently loaned to Championship rivals Cardiff for the 2022/23 season.

Since returning to his parent club, Kipré has been nothing short of a revelation. According to Sofascore, in his 17 Championship appearances, he's kept seven clean sheets, averages 1.5 interceptions per game, 1.6 tackles per game and recovers 5.2 balls per game.

These are impressive stats for someone who looked like he may no longer have a future at the club until recent months. Now, the Baggies' challenge is to tie the defender down on a new long-term deal.

Why haven't West Brom offered Cédric Kipré a new deal?

They're not in a great position financially right now.

According to the Daily Mail, West Brom asked a company that owes them £5 million when and if it will be paid amid ongoing financial issues at the club.

INews, meanwhile has reported that West Brom's wage bill is down by 16% but needs to be reduced even further. This means that their instrumental centre-half may be waiting a while for a contract offer, and if he is offered a deal, it could be a significantly reduced one.

Given Kipré's form this season, there's no doubt that there will be clubs watching the situation with interest. Under other circumstances, you have to feel the Baggies would be moving to offer him a new contract to ward off the competition.